Independent genre research: Conventional title sequences

Conventional title sequences for thriller films

Thriller movies usually have a title sequence that consists of dark colours. The writing often uses sharp letters and colours that stand out in the dark background. Some movies like to use foreshadowing in their opening sequence. 

Some of the top thriller movies and their title sequences:

 Se7en (dir. David Fincher 1995)

This thriller movie looks at how two detectives try to catch the killer who uses the 7 deadly sins as his motive. 
The title sequence uses mainly the color black with the writing in white and looking like someones handwriting. The beginning also shows someone writing something like a diary with some of his fingers bandaged up in what can be see worn out bandage. Throughout this whole sequence the colors are still dark with few lighter bits. 

Silence of the lambs (dir. Jonathan Demme 1991)
The movie is about a young F.B.I cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer who skins his victims.   
The title sequence to silence of the lambs uses dark colours but that's due to filming in between trees. The writing is simple black bubble writing with white edge. The title sequence also shows a woman training in an army camp. This isn't highly conventional in thriller movies as the colours aren't as dark as normally expected however the fact that a woman running alone in woods is shown does at first make the audience think something is going to happen to her however the audience may be shocked when finding out she is training in an army camp. 

Gone Girl(dir. David Fincher 2014)

The movie looks at a disappearance of a young woman which becomes the focus of an intense media circus, the husband is put under the spotlight after people begin to suspect his not as innocent as he seems. 

The title sequence uses conventional dark colours in the background, the writing is small and white. The title sequence also shows different places from a small town this ranges between in the town where many of the building look old and worn out to country side with green fields and many trees. The title sequence also has a voice over instead of silence or slow eerie music which is usually conventional for thriller title sequences. 

A licence to kill(dir. John Glen 1989)

James Bond goes rouge and sets off the unleash vengeance on a drug lord who tortured his best friend, a C.I.A agent, and left him for dead and murdered his bride after he helped capture him. 

The title sequence is a conventional thriller title sequence with dark colours and the use of foreshadowing by showing a man dressed in a suit attempting to shoot at something and the silhouette of a beautiful woman is shown as well.